The Mysterious Cities of Gold facts for kids
| The Mysterious Cities of Gold | |
Cover of Region 2 English DVD release, released in March 2008
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Quick facts for kids 太陽の子エステバン(Taiyō no ko Esuteban) |
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| Genre | Historical, fantasy, adventure |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Bernard Deyriès, Hisayuki Toriumi |
| Produced by | Chad Hopewell (NHK) |
| Written by | Jean Chalopin, Mitsuru Kaneko, Mitsuru Majima, Sôji Yoshikawa |
| Music by | Shuki Levy, Haim Saban, Ryuji Sasai |
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| Licensed by | Fabulous Films |
| Network | NHK (Japan) Antenne 2 (France) |
| English network | |
| Original run | June 29, 1982 – June 7, 1983 |
| Episodes | 39 |
The Mysterious Cities of Gold is an exciting animated TV series. It was made by companies in France and Japan. In Japan, it was called Esteban, Child of the Sun. In France, it was known as Les Mystérieuses Cités d'Or.
The story takes place in the year 1532. It follows a brave young Spanish boy named Esteban. He travels to the New World (which is North and South America) on an amazing adventure. His goal is to find the legendary Seven Cities of Gold and, hopefully, his long-lost father.
This show was first shown in Japan. Later, a French version was made with different voices and music. This French version was then shared with many countries around the world.
Contents
Journey to the Cities of Gold
The story begins in 1532. Esteban, a Spanish orphan, joins a skilled sailor named Mendoza and his friends, Sancho and Pedro. They are all searching for one of the Seven Cities of Gold in the New World. Esteban hopes to find his father during this journey.
They meet two important new friends:
- Zia: An Incan girl who was taken from her home.
- Tao: The last person from the ancient, sunken empire of Mu.
Exploring Ancient Civilizations
The series blends history, archaeology, and science fiction. As the group travels, they meet people from ancient civilizations like the Maya, Inca, and Olmecs.
They also discover amazing old technology from the Mu Empire. This includes a solar-powered ship called the Solaris. They also find the Golden Condor, a giant mechanical bird that flies using only the sun's power. But their journey is not easy. They are always being chased by bad guys, Gomez and Gaspard, who also want to find the Cities of Gold.
Secrets of the Cities
The Seven Cities of Gold were built long ago by an emperor from Hiva. He was worried about a huge war that could destroy everything. This war did happen, and it wiped out the empires of Mu and Atlantis. They used powerful "Weapons of the Sun" that caused great destruction.
The Cities of Gold hold special books in their "Universal Libraries." They also have powerful ancient devices, like the "Great Legacy." This is a portable fusion reactor, which is a very advanced energy source. Other pieces of this old technology appear in unexpected places. For example, the Solaris ship is found on Tao's island. Esteban's and Zia's special medallions are keys to the Cities. Tao's mysterious jar is also a vital part of the Great Legacy.
Old Inca legends, written on golden quipu (knotted strings), tell parts of this story. Only Zia can read these legends. This makes the Spanish explorers, including Mendoza and Francisco Pizarro, even more determined to find the Cities of Gold.
Character Goals and Powers
- Esteban is searching for his father. He was saved by Mendoza as a baby. Esteban has a special power: he can make the Sun appear, which helps them many times. He also has a medallion.
- Zia is looking for her father too. She was taken from her home when she was seven and given to a Spanish princess. She has a medallion just like Esteban's.
- Tao wants to find out more about his ancestors. He has an encyclopedia about their lost technology and a special jar. This jar is a key part of the Great Legacy's power system.
- Mendoza, Sancho, and Pedro are mostly looking for gold. However, Mendoza also seems to care about the children.
The Olmecs' Plan
The Olmecs are strange beings who survived the ancient global war by hiding underground. They are short, thin, and have pointed ears. They are very smart but also tricky and selfish.
Their king, Menator, wants to find the "Great Legacy" to power their special systems. They also want healthy cells from the children to help with their own health problems. The Olmecs have some advanced technology, like a flying machine similar to the Golden Condor, but they also use spears and swords.
Eventually, the Olmecs manage to get the Great Legacy. But without Tao's special jar, it starts to melt down, causing earthquakes and volcanoes. Esteban's father, who is the High Priest, sacrifices himself to stop the meltdown by replacing the jar.
At the end of the series, Mendoza, Sancho, and Pedro return to Spain with some gold. Esteban and his friends continue their adventure across the Pacific Ocean on the Golden Condor, searching for the other Cities of Gold.
Main Characters
Here are some of the main characters you'll meet in the series:
- Esteban (voiced by Masako Nozawa in Japanese, Shiraz Adam in English) – A ten-year-old orphan saved by Mendoza from a shipwreck. He wears one of two special sun medallions. Esteban is adventurous and sometimes acts without thinking. He is afraid of heights. People in Barcelona believe he is the "Child of the Sun" because he can make the sun appear. He joins the journey to find his father and the Cities of Gold.
- Zia (voiced by Mami Koyama in Japanese, Janice Chaikelson in English) – The daughter of an Inca high priest. She was taken from Peru when she was seven and given to the Queen of Spain. She meets Esteban when Mendoza kidnaps her to help Francisco Pizarro read golden quipu. Zia has a sun medallion like Esteban's, with a sun and moon design.
- Tao (voiced by Junko Hori in Japanese, Adrian Knight in English) – The last person from the ancient empire of Mu. He lives alone on the Galápagos Islands. He joins Esteban and Zia after they find his ancestors' ship, the Solaris. Tao carries an encyclopedia about his ancestors' lost technology. He is the smartest of the children and often solves problems with his knowledge.
- Mendoza (voiced by Isao Sasaki in Japanese, Howard Ryshpan in English) – A Spanish navigator who saved Esteban as a baby. He is a skilled sailor and swordsman. Mendoza often acts as a leader, but his true goals are sometimes unclear. He is joined by Sancho and Pedro. Mendoza has been looking for the Cities of Gold for many years. His full name is Juan Carlos Mendoza.
- Sancho (voiced by Takeshi Aono in Japanese) and Pedro (voiced by Kaneta Kimotsuki in Japanese) – These two sailors are funny and often clumsy. They are very greedy for gold and join Mendoza and the children. They often try to escape from the tiring quest.
How the Show Was Made
The story was created by Jean Chalopin and Bernard Deyriès. It is loosely based on the book The King's Fifth by Scott O'Dell. Hisayuki Toriumi was the main director. The music for the Western version was composed by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy.
The theme song for the Western version was sung by Noam Kaniel.
Watching the Series
Original Broadcasts
The series first aired in Japan on NHK (Japan's public TV channel) starting on June 29, 1982. It had 39 episodes and finished on June 7, 1983.
The French version first aired in France on Antenne 2 from September 1983 to July 1984. All versions of the show outside Japan came from this French version.
In English, the series first aired in the United States on Nickelodeon from 1986 to 1990. In the United Kingdom, it was shown on Children's BBC in 1986/87 and 1989. It also aired in many other countries around the world.
Home Video and Digital
The Mysterious Cities of Gold has been released on VHS and DVD in many countries. In 2008, all 39 episodes were released in the United Kingdom as a six-disc DVD set. The picture and sound were improved for this release. The show is also available to buy and stream online.
New Adventures: The Sequel Series
Three new seasons of the show have been made, each with 26 episodes. These new seasons continue the story from where the original 1982 series ended. Unlike the first series, these sequels were made entirely in France.
The new seasons follow the characters as they travel to China and then Japan. The characters look mostly the same, but with some small updates. Jean Chalopin and Bernard Deyriès, who worked on the original, were involved as creative advisors for the new series. The original theme song singer, Noam Kaniel, composed new music for the sequel.
The first two episodes of the new series were shown as a special in December 2012. The full series started airing regularly in 2013. Just like the original, each episode includes a summary of the last episode, a preview of the next, and a short documentary at the end.
Games Based on the Show
Two video games have been made based on The Mysterious Cities of Gold:
- The Mysterious Cities of Gold: Flight of the Condor was released in 2013 for iOS devices (like iPhones and iPads).
- The Mysterious Cities of Gold: Secret Paths was made in 2013 for PC and later released in 2014 for iOS, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS.
See also
In Spanish: Las misteriosas ciudades de oro para niños
